


Ghost in the Cell

by Cap_Sweet_And_Salty_Sadness



Series: Cut through your skin [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternative Universe - Medium, Ghost Adventures AU, Ghost Investigation, Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 14:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8405650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cap_Sweet_And_Salty_Sadness/pseuds/Cap_Sweet_And_Salty_Sadness
Summary: “So, a demon you say?” Dorian asked. Cullen took a deeper breath and started his camera again.“Yes," Alim replied. "Other investigators came here before, their EVP was compelling evidence.”Dorian grabbed his elbow to stop him. “Alim, wait.”“Are you sensing something?”“I’ve been feeling things ever since we stepped inside, but…” Dorian raised a hand and extended his arm towards the darkness. “There’s a bubble of cold air here.”He started the recorder. “Is anyone here with us?” He probed his surroundings, and yes, there definitely was something out there. It was hiding, nearby but not close enough to reality that Dorian could sense it properly.“Stop hiding, let me see you.”Cullen and Alim remained silent, one febrile with a mix of excitement and fear, and the other one curious and slightly anxious. Then there were footsteps, deliberate, coming closer.--Dorian is invited to investigate an haunted prison with a paranormal investigator crew, and he brings Cullen along for some ghost adventures.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Ghost Adventures, enjoy this Halloween special! :) Alim Surana is my OC in my first playthrough of Dragon Age, ages ago.
> 
> As expected, warning for graphic description of paranormal activity.

Dorian wasn't the most notorious medium, there was no need to lie about it. There were others whose business was a lot more obnoxious and eye-catching than his own, and whether or not they were charlatans remained a mystery. Becoming a medium investigator had been out of sheer luck after a meeting with Cassandra one day, and it was luckily paying very well. His own business was just a few years old at this point, he was only starting to get regulars at his shop and had to contact independent companies for them to work with him.

He didn't mind sending emails on his own, but it was a boost to his ego every time he’d receive an email from someone interested in working with him. He was registered a few places as a medium investigator and a psychic, but it still was surprising when people would mention his previous successes on resolving a case or helping people find peace.

Kocari Paranormal Investigations was composed of an interesting bunch, a disparate group meeting every once in a while to document renowned or rumoured haunted places. They'd been all over the territory, sharing the evidence of a paranormal presence. Dorian had watched a few of their videos and was surprised at the quality of their documentation. Spirits weren’t usually seen or heard, they were sensed and felt, so to try to videotape a séance was mostly the medium looking at something invisible and mumbling to themselves, but some of the members were able to get answers out of the ghosts.

When they approached him to participate in an investigation, he was a bit hesitant. It was usually fun experiences, except when angry ghosts would lash at him and Halloween was approaching. The social beliefs increased the paranormal activity all over, which meant a more difficult time for him to protect himself and not get involved too much.

They were inviting him to an abandoned penitentiary a few hours away from Montreal and were offering to pay all expanses if he would participate in the investigation. It was taking place a week before Halloween. After some hesitation, Dorian asked if he could bring someone. Once the one in charge replied that there would be no problem if they knew how to behave during paranormal investigations, he accepted the offer while assuring that the person would not be a problem.

“You want me to come to a haunted prison with you?” Cullen’s tone was surprised, incredulous perhaps, but not judgemental. Dorian knew he was heading home from work, he could hear he was on the car’s speakers.

“And a small crew of paranormal investigators. Never say I can’t be romantic after that.”

That earned him a laugh. “Oh yes, definitely the most romantic date proposal I’ve ever had.”

Dorian cleared his throat. “I’m not hearing a no.”

“I wasn’t expecting to have such a request, though I should know to be prepared with you around.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. Definitely not,” Cullen replied with a soft voice, and Dorian couldn’t help his grin. “When is it?”

“Friday night. It’s a few hours away from Montreal, but they’re willing to pay for everything.”

“Alright then, I’ll go with you. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Only your handsome self. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Well, we could go with my car?” Cullen offered.

Spending hours in a van with almost-strangers, or in the intimacy of Cullen and himself only, with the possibility to stare at his profile all he wanted? “If it doesn’t bother you.”

“Not at all. I’ll see you Friday then. Maybe my own ghost will fight the ones at the prison or something.”

Dorian chuckled. “Try to keep this positivity for when we get there, yes?”

 

The rest of the week went by quickly. Dorian had a lot of appointments, October was the beginning of the slow season, and a lot of people sought answers for their indecisions or past mistakes around that time. Friday came by more quickly than Dorian saw it coming.

“I can’t believe I’m doing an all-nighter in a haunted prison.”

“Not an all-nighter per say, it depends of what we can get there.”

“Have you ever done this before?”

Dorian chuckled, glancing at him. “As if I needed to go to proclaimed haunted locations to talk to the dead.”

“Right.” Cullen seemed relaxed that day, his hair only styled so it stayed away from his face, leaving it mostly curly. Dorian really liked it. “Now that I think of it, on top of everything about being teenager, you also had to deal with ghosts and spirits?”

Dorian leaned back in his seat, unzipping his light fall jacket to be more comfortable. “Yes. I tried blocking the fact I was a psychic medium for the longest time, but at the end there’s no point denying what you are.”

“When was the first time you had a paranormal experience?” Cullen inquired, which made Dorian smile at his curiosity. The other man blushed. “I mean, I don’t want to intrude, but I’m simply intrigued.”

“No harm done. I’m actually flattered you have interest in my life.”

At that, Cullen smirked and took his hand that was on his lap, intertwined their fingers together. “I thought it was obvious, with me joining you on your ghost adventures.”

Dorian laughed in delight and squeezed his hand in return. “Well, if you must know, I’ve always been surrounded by spirits for as long as I can remember. My imaginary friend was a ghost guarding me from demons. My parents thought there was something wrong with me when they’d find me talking to him even when I was getting older. They kept telling me that it was enough, that it was time to let my friend go. They knew there was something more to it when I predicted someone’s accident, my best friend’s.”

“That must've been horrible.”

“My abilities are both a gift and a burden, and I can’t help seeing what I see. My prediction took years to happen, and it still took me some time before I realized what I had predicted, being so close to the event. Some things are inevitable, no matter what we do.”

Cullen made an agreement sound.

“Enough talking about me,” Dorian declared. “What about you? When did you discover you wanted to be a cop?”

 “That’s a good question. It’s difficult to say, I’ve always wanted to help people, so to point a finger at a specific moment…” Cullen hummed under his breath, his gaze dropping to their still joined hands for a second. Dorian could sense some of his emotions better with their contact. Cullen appreciated how Dorian respected his slow steps, giving him space and time without a complaint. The truth was that Dorian was scared of fucking up another relationship, so if it meant courting the man instead of jumping straight in his pants, he would do it. He liked Cullen much more than some of his previous boyfriends, if he could call them that.

“Perhaps in secondary school. A police officer came in one of my classes and just talked about what they were doing, how they could save lives and everything. That spoke to me more than being in public health.”

“Your parents wanted you to be a doctor,” Dorian said, having a clear memory where Cullen was being scolded by his parents.

“Yes. I don’t know if it’s something I would still do if I'd follow what they wanted me to be, especially with the years wasted for a profession I didn’t feel inspired by in the first place.”

“Do you like working here?” Dorian knew something bad happened to Cullen back in England for him to be transferred him, and he knew not to talk about it. Cullen would share the story with him once he was ready to do so.

“I do,” he gingerly replied, smiling at him. “Cassandra is a great partner, I get along with the whole team, and I love the work itself. I get to hang out with an amazing medium investigator as well.”

“Flatterer,” Dorian replied, his shy expression betraying his feelings.

 

 

The sun was setting when they arrived at the penitentiary. Dorian groaned as he stepped out of the car, his joints cracking and his legs asleep after hours spent not moving.

The investigation crew was already there, vibrating with excitement. They were transporting cameras and other equipment inside.

“Hi, are we late?”

“Not at all, we're setting our gear,” said a cute elf with bright blue hair and large hazel eyes. They shook hands. “I’m Alim, the one who contacted you.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’ve been following your path for a while now, I didn’t think you knew me to be honest.”

“I actually walked by your shop a few times, it’s eye-catching, but I didn’t know who was the owner until I looked up for mediums.”

“Feel free to step in next time," Dorian said before gesturing at Cullen. "This is my friend Cullen by the way.”

“You ever went to a haunted place, Cullen?” Alim asked once they shook hands.

“Never willingly, no.”

“There’s a first thing for everything,” an older woman said as she joined them. She looked serene, perhaps too much considering what they were about to do. “I’m Wynne. Morrigan and Alistair are inside."

“Hopefully they won’t destroy anything,” Alim added. “They don’t get along super well.”

“As long as they don’t try to pull pranks on one another,” Cullen said. He was observing the building, noting the decayed façade, the taped shut windows and the graffiti littering the walls.

“It happened once, but they learnt their lesson.” The way she said it, Wynne had been the one pulling the bigger prank on them, and Alim’s muffled laugh only confirmed it.

"So what's the story of this penitentiary?"

"Well, this was a prison built in the beginning of the nineteenth century," Wynne explained. "It was to house about 300 prisoners, but it held up to 1500 prisoners to a certain point. About a hundred prisoners were hung here, and there's cases of suicides as well. In the basement you have the employee’s quarters, then the higher the floor, the higher the degree of the crime, so the sentenced to death were on the second floor."

"Charming," Dorian commented. “I’m ready when you are.” Cullen and him were given a camera and an EVP recorder. They had other gadgets too, like that Spirit Box that could make the dead talk.

“Wait, Cullen.”

“What is it?... What are you doing?” Dorian had placed his hands on each side of his face and closed his eyes.

“I’m placing a protection on you. We both know how demons like you, I don’t want to take any chance.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“I dragged you here, it’s the least I can do. I don't know how long it will hold, depending on how powerful the ghosts inside are, but it should do for now.”

Cullen didn’t reply, but when Dorian declared himself to be done, he noted that his eyes strained on his face. They walked inside.

Dorian felt a change as soon as the door closed behind them. The air was warmer and dustier, but also heavier.  Eyes were watching from the shadows.

Alistair, a tall man with broad shoulders, and Morrigan, a woman all dressed in black and barely visible in the darkness, were waiting for them.

“I can already feel this is gonna be great,” Alim exclaimed. He lit up his flashlight and put it underneath his chin for a second, smirking devilishly. “Alistair, are the cameras ready?”

“Yeah, but the place is so big we can only cover the main areas.”

“We’ll get what we’ll get.”

“And what is that exactly?” Cullen asked. He probably never watched any show about ghost hunting.

“Apparitions, unexplained sounds, odd balls of light, EVPs, sometimes even the gear malfunctioning.”

“What’s an EVP? I’m unfamiliar with the term.”

“Electronic Voice Phenomenon," Morrigan explained. "It’s when we’re able to record spirit voices.”

Cullen hummed an affirmative and turned on his own camera. He chuckled at himself. “Night vision. I always wanted to do that.”

Dorian smiled in indulgence. “Do we look spooky?”

Cullen pointed the camera at him. “Very,” he said after a beat.

“So, Dorian," Alistair started. "There’s apparently some kind of demon in the basement.”

“Let me guess. You want to send me there alone?”

“Let’s check it out first, alright?” Wynne intervened before Cullen could. Morrigan was the first one to go with Wynne, then Alistair with Alim, and Dorian and Cullen followed them.

“What are you feeling so far?” Dorian asked him, curious. Cullen wasn’t blocking his invisible surroundings like he previously did when they first met, and he was becoming more sensitive every time Doian and him had an encounter with the paranormal.

“To be honest, I have no clue. I don’t know if it’s because I knew we were coming in an haunted place, but I feel… overwhelmed? As if there were things around me but there's nothing?"

"And it's only the beginning. There's definitely a lot of ghosts here, as it would be expected. Prisoners were executed here, some of them remained as ghosts either for vengeance or to create havoc, or because they don't know how to be at peace. Killers just enjoy haunting people."

The hall of the ground floor was desert, the lack of lights making the place a lot scarier and bigger that it probably was at daylight.

"Do you want to head right to the basement?" Alim asked once they reached the stairs, to which Dorian shrugged.

"Sure. That way you'll know if I'm a charlatan or not."

Cullen chuckled. They both remembered how they met each other, how Cullen didn't trust him at first and even took his brother’s name to try to deceive him.

"We'll use the Spirit Box upstairs in the meantime," Morrigan said. "Call us through the radio if there's anything."

"Will do." Alim, Cullen and Dorian headed for the basement.

While Alim struggled to find the right key, Dorian had the distinctive feeling of being observed. He turned around, pointed his light up the stairs, but didn’t see anything unusual.

He’d been the only one getting that feeling, Cullen now helping Alim and finding the basement key for him.

After a bit of struggle, they were in. It was humid down here, with maintenance material left to rot. Alim made a disgusted noise as he walked right into a cobweb.

“So, a demon you say?” Dorian asked. Cullen took a deeper breath and started his camera again.

“Yes. Other investigators came here before, their EVP was compelling evidence.”

Dorian snorted in amusement. “Compelling evidence, huh?”

“What’s funny about that?” Cullen asked, confused, as they continued further in the basement.

“It’s something from a TV show I’ll have to introduce you to,” Dorian replied, then grabbed his elbow to stop him. “Alim, wait.”

“Are you sensing something?”

“I’ve been feeling things ever since we stepped inside, but…” Dorian raised a hand and extended his arm towards the darkness. “There’s a bubble of cold air here.”

He started the recorder. “Is anyone here with us?” He probed his surroundings, and yes, there definitely was something out there. It was hiding, nearby but not close enough to reality that Dorian could sense it properly.

“Stop hiding, let me see you.”

Cullen and Alim remained silent, one febrile with a mix of excitement and fear, and the other one curious and slightly anxious. Then there were footsteps, deliberate, coming closer.

Cullen gasped. “What was that?”

Dorian made an involuntary step back. One second there was nothing, the next a face was floating in midair. No, it wasn’t floating, there was a body attached to it, but the form was barely there. Whatever it was, it was badly deformed.

“What’s your name?” Dorian asked, holding up the recorder.

It didn’t speak, continued to approach him.

“Where is it?” Alim asked.

“Right in front of me,” Dorian said, still trying to determine if it was a demon. They would try to disguise themselves as something they were nothing but; innocent, honest and pure. “What’s your name?” He repeated.

“Beelzebub.”

Dorian took a step back, fear making his hands sweaty and his heart try to go up his throat, but he didn't drop the recorder. There was a moment of silence where Dorian studied the dead being. “No, you’re not," he finally concluded. "You’re not even a demon. No need to try to lie to me.” As if one of the princes of Hell would hang out in a basement, if it existed to begin with.

Its form vanished. Dorian held his breath, searching for the ghost in the little he could see. Something heavy crashed against the wall and fell on the floor, making everyone jump.

“I think I angered it. Well, now we know it’s not a demon, but a wannabe one.”

“Dude, that was awesome. You don’t look scared at all,” Alim said as he grabbed his arm.

“I'm scared as fuck, but it won't stop me from seeking more answers.”

He started the EVP and listened to it to know if it recorded the ghost’s voice. Right after Dorian had asked for the ghost’s name, there was static before a dark voice muttered “Beelzebub”.

“What the fuck." Cullen took the recorder and listened for himself, cursing once more afterward. "I didn't hear anything."

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Alim said. "What is usually invisible is revealed."

Dorian suddenly was hit with a wave of dizziness. He pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "The ghost is angry, but there's more. Come on."

They'd come all this way for answers, he wasn't about to back down because he didn't feel good. He was used to it by this point, he would suck it up. They ventured further in the basement. There wasn’t much to it, truth be told. Perhaps that was why the ghost like to trick humans when it could have a bit of fun. They came across a maintenance room, another empty one… and Dorian was getting frustrated not to get any more vibes.

“Alim,” Alistair chimed in suddenly through the walkie-talkie. “Wynne doesn’t feel well.”

“How bad?” Alim asked once he grabbed the device, glancing at the other two.

“She feels sick and very dizzy. Something hit her hard on the second floor.”

“That’s not good. I’m heading over,” he said, before he turned to Dorian and Cullen. “Will you be alright by yourselves? Wynne is very sensitive and in her sixties, so we prefer to be careful with her health.”

“I’ll be fine. Cullen?”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

With a nod, he hurried to the way they came from.

“How are you holding up?” Dorian skimmed through his pockets to get his crystal, his favorite bead of energy in situations like this.

“I’m a bit nervous, but not for the right reasons. A bit numb in the limbs, too.”

“Here, keep this.” Their hands touched when he gave him the crystal, Cullen’s hot against his cold one. “How can you be nervous for good reasons?”

“When I go on dates with you,” Cullen’s reply came easily. That tease had been waiting for that question. The realization made Dorian laugh and squeeze his hand one last time before he let go.

“I’m supposed to talk to the dead now, not be seduced by the flirty British man. Let’s go that way.”

Dorian couldn’t see much before him, the flashlight doing only so much light in front of them. Cullen went beside him, his stare on the camera’s night screen. Dorian closed the light, and the whole basement became illuminated through the small screen. For the medium, it went pitch black.

“You’ll be my eyes.”

“Yes, sir.” Cullen slid his hand down his side to rest against his hip, guiding him forward with a gentle pressure. His body was strong and comforting, and the strain Dorian had to use to keep himself safe became a bit easier. They continued in the hall, and Dorian suddenly felt a lot of negative emotions. Guilt, rage, depression, melancholia…

“Let’s go in this room,” he suddenly said, gesturing in a direction.

“I thought you couldn’t see anything.”

“Well, I see enough. I feel a ghost and I have a vivid image of him hanging himself there. It was an employee… By Andraste, it feels heavy in here.”

The both of them distinctively felt something shift in there, like the creak of a rope going tight. Cullen was about to say something when Dorian was pushed backwards by an unknown source into Cullen, sending them both crashing against the wall.

Cullen wheezed, the air expulsed from his lungs, and Dorian scrambled to get off him so he could breathe. His head had been hit, Dorian heard the distinct thump and could sense Cullen's pain. He leaned between Cullen's legs to gently cradle his head and felt something wet through the soft curls.

Cullen pressed his cheek against Dorian's stomach, disoriented. "That hurt."

"Come on." Dorian helped him to his feet. Cullen groaned and followed him out, back to the stairs. There were other ruffles back there, then a voice mumbled something.

"Did you hear that?" Cullen asked once they were in the stairs. "It sounded like a voice."

"I did. The ghosts are getting more agitated with every minute. They don't like us here."

They made it to the top of the stairs, and Cullen rested against the door once it was closed behind them. He massaged the back of his head, grimacing.

His thoughts were scattered, disbelief oozing off him like a snake devouring everything else. He was at that weird position where he was acknowledging the paranormal proofs, but his logical side was always trying to come up with an explanation. Up until now. He was starting to believe that what he was seeing, hearing and especially sensing, was real and part of the world.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Cullen said once his breathing returned to normal.

“Paranormal attacks are never expected. How’s your head?”

“Not as bad as you might think. Head traumas always bleed more.”

“Well that’s good to know you won’t die in my arms.”

“Speak for yourself. You were the one shoved back, and it was a mean push. I got it on camera.”

“I'll be alright. We need to stop the bleeding.”

They heard fast footsteps coming their way, and indeed, Alim and Morrigan appeared, their flashlight showing their worried expression.

“Is everything alright? We heard your call on the radio.”

Dorian frowned and looked at Cullen. “We were pushed by a spirit downstairs, but it couldn’t be us calling you. We don’t have a radio.”

“But it was your voice, accent and all. Morrigan recorded it.”

She found the part on her camera, and indeed, it seemed exactly like Dorian’s voice calling for help. Beside him, Cullen laughed with disbelief.

“What in the Maker’s name is happening? Did a ghost speak as you?”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Dorian said, rubbing his chest and hissing at the pain. It would make a nice bruise.

“So a ghost pushes you and another one let us know?”

“Let me see the bruise,” Morrigan prompted, and Dorian opened his jacket and lifted his shirt. The light wasn’t the best, but it was enough to see the bruise right on the middle of his chest. Cullen cursed while Alim examined the wound.

“It’s a hand imprint,” he said with awe. “Also I didn’t know mediums were ripped.”

Dorian snorted. “It might just be me.” He looked up just as Cullen was turning away, his face unnaturally red in this cold weather.

“That spirit was quite angry, to leave such a distinct mark.”

“It actually was a guard and not even a prisoner.”

“Oh yes, I heard about him. That probably is the demon everyone refers to.”

“Not a demon, just an angry ghost self-proclaiming himself as the devil. Cullen hurt his head open too.”

“I always bring my first aid kit just in case. Let me get it,” Alim said. He hurried outside and came back a few minutes during which Morrigan stared at them with her golden eyes.

“So you’re an empath?” Dorian asked to ease the tension while Cullen was being tended at by the smaller elf.

He actually had to sit down on an old bench so Alim could reach the wound. He was a nurse, had been for a few years, and he liked helping people; whether alive or dead.

“Among other things. I’m also a witch.”

"Oh, are you part of the Montreal coven?”

“No," she snickered. "I prefer to do things on my own. That way I can do what I want.”

Dorian looked at her, trying to decipher what she meant by that, but her expression, let alone her mind, didn’t give much. She kept a wall around herself, and it never was a good thing in Dorian’s opinion.

Behind them, Alim was reassuring Cullen. “It’s just a small wound, it’ll heal on its own.”

“Is Alistair coming back?” Morrigan asked, changing the subject.

“No, he prefers to keep an eye on Wynne and the monitors.”

“He’s too scared to come back,” she added with a smirk, and Alim frowned at her. Apparently she respected him enough to mumble an apology. It was odd to know that two people who disliked each other kept working together, but sometimes ghosts reacted to a diverse range of emotions.

“There's a lot of ghosts upstairs,” Morrigan replied. “We were able to use the Spirit Box before Wynne returned outside, we had multiple voices."

“Anyone I should be wary of?”

“There was one of the prisoners who worshipped dark gods and apparently cursed some of the other prisoners before he committed suicide. There's rumors it was an organized crime to get rid of him."

“I'll look into it."

“I think I felt him earlier, but you probably will have more luck,” Morrigan said.

“If we can call that luck,” Cullen added without thinking.

“Hey now,” Alim told him. "I wont let you say that his abilities are anything other than a gift, even if you’re his boyfriend. Now let’s mosey.”

Dorian looked at Cullen, but didn't say anything and simply followed the rest of the party. He heard Cullen fall in step behind him after a moment. He was sorry for saying that. This whole experience was getting to him. Now it was Dorian's turn to feel bad.

“Nothing will happen to you this time, Cullen," he told him. "I’ll protect you.”

“Kind of you to say this, but you can’t predict their actions.”

 "Sorry guys, can we have two minutes?" Dorian called Alim and Morrigan at the front. He browsed in his bag and retrieved his magic wand. It wouldn’t be as effective as a proper ritual, but it would do. “Give me the crystal," he said to Cullen, who obliged.

He said a few words in his mother language, tapping the mineral with the tip of his wand. The crystal grew warm in his palm.

“I may intensify the protection,” Morrigan proposed, coming forward, and Dorian let her. She was a real witch, on the opposite of him whose power had grown with his knowledge over the years. Nothing could beat hereditary abilities. Cullen quickly shoved the crystal in his pocket when it was given back to him, for jt was now very hot.

“Keep it on yourself, and no harm will come to you,” Morrigan said.

“Thank you,” Cullen said with sincerity. All of this ghost hunting was unusual for him and he was beginning to think he would get out of there with a new fear of the dark. Dorian took his hand when that thought floated to him and squeezed it tightly.

“Why have you never done this for us?” Alim was questioning Morrigan on the quick ritual she just performed.

“A protection? Because the goal of investigating haunted locations is to feel and get in symbioses with our environment, is it not?”

“Yeah, but that time Alistair was lifted off the ground, I think he would’ve been grateful for any kind of protection, was it a spell or a few pillows for the landing.”

“He was lifted?” Cullen asked incredibly.

“Off the ground, yes. It remains one of our best documentation on the spiritual world.”

“I enjoy watching the footage from time to time.” Dorian chuckled at Morrigan’s comment while Cullen shook his head.

“What an odd crew.”

“The oddest, the better, I say,” Dorian replied. “I once met- Wait. Did you hear that?”

They stopped in the middle of the corridor, between two rows of cells, and strained their ears. Both Morrigan and Cullen turned on their camera.

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“It felt like the cells were full of people. There.” He pointed his finger in the direction of one of the cells. He was hearing shuffles, footsteps, as if someone was moving and replacing things in there.

“I’m hearing it,” Cullen said, along with the rest of the crew.

“Can you verify there’s no stray animal in there, with your camera?”

Cullen and Morrigan did, but there was nothing. Dorian decided to go in the small cell by his own.

Alim and Morrigan went a little bit further, and Cullen ventured in another cell by himself, looking at the drawings and remains of the last prisoner.

“I feel something in here," he heard him say. "It’s not like eyes on me, but more as if I expected to see someone when I look to the side.”

“That’s good. Oh.” Dorian looked down as his hand that was touched by something. There was nothing in the cell but the skeleton of a bed, and it was too low for it to even have touched him. “Hi there.”

He let out the EVP recorder and turned off his torchlight. He took a long, almost silent breath, focusing on what was there.

“You’re young, aren’t you? You were executed before your trial ended.” So many different emotions were swirling at once, it was difficult to guess which one belonged to the ghost near him who touched his hand.

“Can you tell me your name?” He asked, trying not to scare them.

There was silence at first, and Dorian distinctively felt like the person was weighting whether or not they should talk to him. “Cailan," a man's voice finally hushed close to him.

“Were you betrayed, Cailan? I sense helplessness coming from you... Yes, you were betrayed by your own family.”

There was agitation around him. For a second, something appeared beside him, but it wasn’t Cailan. It was something darker, menacing. Dorian's head began to hurt.

Nightmares hanging behind, invisible but always close, sapping all happiness and replacing it by dreadful cold. It wasn’t anything good for Dorian. Last time he saw one, he was almost possessed by it.

Staying in the darkness with it was not a good idea, but the light would chase away the shy ghost he'd been talking with. Before he could make a decision, he heard Morrigan shout a command. She was scared of something, and Dorian hurried outside to help, only for an unknown force to push him sideways against the cell’s concrete wall. He fell and hurt his shoulder and backside. Luckily it hadn’t been into the steel bedframe. Someone snickered close by, a chilly laugh that made his blood stop cold. Dorian stayed in that position for a while, breathing in, out. In, out. Nails were scraping against his protection wall, forcing its way inside.

Something was looming over him, laughing and letting him know how weak he was. How pathetic. How he never made anything good of his life and preferred to run away rather than face reality. He was a dead weight to this world and deserved what he got.

The cold metal dragged down his arm, and he whimpered. This couldn’t be happening, he wasn’t ready to die. That made them laugh again and spit just how they’d enjoy killing him. How he deserved to die for his sins, for he was nothing but a traitor to his blood. Life was too good for some vermin like him.

Someone shook him. Dorian took a moment to realize it was for real this time.

“Dorian, can you hear me?” Cullen was gently asking. Dorian blinked into the darkness. He was still in the same position. He cleared his throat and sniffled.

“What happened?” He asked, his voice raspy. There was a flashlight directed to the floor, but it was enough to see Cullen’s worried expression. Behind him stood Morrigan and Alim, both ready to get out.

“I don’t know, we found you like this. Why are you crying?”

Dorian frowned and touched his face. It was wet. “I'm not sure. I think I revived one of the ghost’s memories, and it got mixed with mine. Bad memories.”

Cullen used an extra tissue for his wound to wipe his face. “I bet. We’re ready to go, if you are.”

“Yeah, I definitely am.”

Dorian slowly got on his feet, working his shoulder. Hopefully he’d only get a big bruise the next day. Alim called for Alistair through the radio, asking for assistance.

“You can head outside, we’ll start removing our gear.”

“You don’t need our help?” Cullen asked.

“No, we know our stuff. It shouldn’t be long.”

With that, Dorian and Cullen returned outside, the fresh air bringing them back to reality. Dorian took deep breaths, happy to see the stars and to get rid of any spirits clinging to him. He already felt better. Beside him, Cullen scratched his neck and looked at him, the curve of his cheek his only discernable feature.

“This oddly felt like a “bring-your-kid-at-work” thing,” Dorian commented to lighten up the mood.

Cullen’s laugh was sharp and liberating, tension leaving him. “Remind me to bring you on a patrol, then.”

“So we can pretend to work while we stuff ourselves with donuts and coffee? I’ll set the event as a priority in my schedule.”

They opened the door of the van. Wynne was on the backseat with a laptop, already reviewing the footage.

“Are you feeling better?” Dorian asked her with a smile.

“Much better, thank you. Help yourself to some food, you must be starving after such work.”

Cullen dug into the sport bag and retrieved a few things. He also got them a water bottle, which Dorian gulped down. He shoved down an energy bar, then nibbled on a cookie.

“I believe we were both attacked by the same entity,” she said.

“How do you know?”

“We had a camera in that corridor and I saw which cell you went in. You did better than I.”

Dorian accepted the compliment with a small smile, but inside he kept reliving the same circle of emotions, his thoughts at the time. The memories had been a mix of the ghost's and his, and he decided he'd reviewed the whole experience some other time.

"A demon latched to a ghost is no small affair. It might be what keeps the other ghosts trapped there."

The three of them continued to chat in the warmth of the van until the rest of the team arrived as well.

“We packed everything.”

“Alright. Well thank you for tonight. To be honest I’ll probably appreciate the experience better once I had a shower and a good night of sleep.”

Alim laughed. “I feel we all do. That was intense. How do you feel about it, Cullen?”

Cullen scratched his neck in thought. “It wasn’t what I expected, but I’m glad I joined you tonight. I’m definitely leaving with a lot to think about.”

“Eye-opening, isn’t it?” Alistair piped in, and Cullen nodded in agreement. Alim turned to Dorian and smiled.

“Let’s meet again to watch the best part of the footage together and make a conclusion?”

“Sure. It was nice to hunt ghosts with you.”

“And it was very nice to watch you at work, Dorian. Nice to meet you, Cullen.”

They bid their goodbye and soon, the penitentiary was small in their rear mirror.

“They were nice,” Dorian commented as he watched the sight become smaller and smaller. “Odd crew, but nice altogether.”

“They were. Alistair has a crush on Alim, did you notice?”

Dorian chuckled, not surprised Cullen would see things like that. His job was to observe, after all. “Not at all. Is that your detective skills speaking?”

“Well they have to be used for something, don't they?”

Dorian laughed, delighted every time Cullen made a joke. He had it bad, didn’t he? Cullen cleared his throat, sobering up.

 “I wish to apologize for my behavior earlier, about you having no luck. There was some messed up things happening back there, things I still don’t fully understand. I was getting mad, and it scares me to know you deal with that on a daily basis.”

“You’re worried for me?”

“I know it’s obnoxious of me to think that, but I can’t help it.”

Dorian looked at him with fond eyes. “Oh you silly man. Don’t ever change.”

Cullen smiled and slid his hand on his thigh. Dorian placed his on top, tracing the sword tattooed on his middle finger. “So you’re not angry at me?”

“Why would I be? You came here with me even though I know you don’t like paranormal stuff.”

“I don’t like it, but I like you. That’s enough.”

That stunned Dorian into silence. He wasn't used to receive this kind of confession, let alone from someone he fancied himself. After a moment of deliberation, he simply decided not to reply. He wasn’t good with expressing his feelings, he didn’t want to waste such moment. Instead, he leaned over again and kissed the scar on top of his lip, just a lingering brush of his mouth. His stubble prickled his lips, making them tingle pleasantly.

Cullen took a deep breath, and the intense look he gave him sent shivers down his spine.

Sometimes there wasn’t any need for words.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://captain-amoruca.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I was heavily inspired by La-Prison-des-Patriotes to create the penitentiary. They do tours there, if you're interested to see the famous ghost woman haunting the place.


End file.
